Saturday, July 28, 2007

US Marine Corps Muster Rolls (1893-1940) on Ancestry

Good things happen to genealogists who browse...

It's been a lazy morning, with an early breakfast with friends, home for awhile, and then a memorial service. While home for awhile, I opened up Ancestry.com and put Lyle Carringer, my grandfather's name, in the Search box, thinking it would only find his 1920 and 1930 census, SSDI and California Death Index entries. Surprise!

Hmmm. U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1940 - 24 matches. I recalled that he had served in the US Marines during World War I, but I didn't have any details about his service.

The database information is here. Where did this database come from? I've not seen or heard of it before - it's probably been hiding on the long list of databases on Ancestry for years! The description says:

"This database contains an index to U.S. Marine Corps muster rolls from 1893-1940. Information contained in this database includes: name, rank, enlistment date, muster date, and station."

These images are from National Archives Microfilm Publication T977, 460 rolls; Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

For my grandfather, there are 24 monthly reports, from May 1917 to May 1921, of his service - where he was, what he did, etc. Private Lyle L. Carringer enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on 7 May 1917 in San Diego CA, and it appears he served his duty as a Saleman at the PX (store) in Balboa Park in his native San Diego. The report for May 1917, says "Jd by enrollment at this post." In the report for December 1919, he reported his address was 2054 Harrison Street in San Diego (same as the 1920 census address). In the report for June 1921 (the last one), it says "Expiration of Enrollment, Character 'Excellent.'"

Here is a picture of Lyle in his uniform, taken probably in 1917. He was 5 foot six inches tall and weighed about 120 pounds. He wasn't married to Emily Auble yet. He probably dazzled her with the uniform and his Marine training. I'm so glad he did!



What a pleasant surprise today!

How about you? Any Marines in your ancestral families? Have you checked this database?

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